Flighty Hazard Bay cleared for Doomben

Immature Hazard Bay has passed a stewards’ test and connections are confident the gelding will be on his best behaviour at Doomben on Saturday.

Hazard Bay has tossed his jockeys on the way to the barriers at both of his racetrack appearances.

At his first start at Caloundra he dislodged jockey Brad Stewart who remounted and steered Hazard Bay to a three-length win.

Then at Doomben last Saturday, Hazard Bay tossed jockey Glen Colless near the winning post on the way to the starting stalls.

Hazard Bay stood on Colless’s face and was a late scratching.

Colless underwent facial surgery and will miss at least a month’s racing.

Stewards barred Hazard Bay but he came through a barrier test on Tuesday without incident.

Owner Neville Bell said Hazard Bay got stirred up on race days and trainer Stuart Kendrick would ask the clerk of the course to take the gelding to the start on a lead before the BMAG Handicap (1050m).

“Obviously our main worry has been Glen and that he got the treatment he required. But I am confident Hazard Bay won’t cause any problems this Saturday,” Bell said.

Meanwhile, trainer Toby Edmonds has warned punters to ignore smart galloper Our Boy Nicholas’s last start when he was unplaced at odds-on.

“He couldn’t possibly have won the way the race was run at a crawl early. There should be more pace on Saturday and I expect him to improve,” Edmonds said.

Our Boy Nicholas will be out to make it four wins from six starts since a spell in the FDC Constructions & Fitout Qld Handicap (1600m).